148 SALMONIDES. 



At the south, there is a variety, called menidea, 

 which has twentyfc-ur rays in the anal fin. In the 

 month of March and April they cast their spawn, 

 after which they seem to stretch out into the 

 ocean, till the approach of autumn, when the har- 

 bors swarm with them. They pass into rivers and 

 creeks, but the borders of the salt water is their 

 peculiar residence, and where they are caught 

 through the winter, or indeed, in all inlets, where 

 the sea-water sets at high tide, in immense quanti- 

 ties.* 



An attempt has been made to climate the smelts 

 in a fresh water pond, but they have soon degene- 

 rated, becoming at first emaciated, and disappear- 

 ed, by degrees, till they probably all died. 



FAMILY II. 



One of the distinguishing characters of this fam- 

 ily is, that they are destitute of an adipose fin ; the 

 upper jaw is formed in the middle by intermaxilla- 

 ries, without pedicles. The body is scaly — and 

 they have besides, the air-bladder and cascums ; the 

 branchial arteries are furnished on the side next to 



* We are inclined to the opinion that smelts shed their scales 

 annually, in the month of March. 



